Black Darts
The Black Darts was a group implicitly created by the Molouk Rune Enkar after his banishment from the Draconite clan. They worked as a gang, working both with and against each other for more power and wealth. Motives The Black Darts targeted the royal family of Zanoll, members of the Gospel of Zarem, and Zanoll's government. They were also been known to attack Ramirra, as was seen when they raided the town of Haseth and left Tasaru wounded in the snow when she was barely a month old. They were known to hate Molouks, a result from Rune's hatred of the Draconites. Mark and Ranking All Black Dart members received a tattoo on different parts of their body, depending on their rank. The tattoo is that of a downward-pointing dagger with a snake winding around it. This depiction is surrounded by a wreath of thorns. The tattoo is applied with red and black ink. The intention with the positions of the tattoos is how visible they are - those on the neck are the most visible and thus make the low-ranking Dart the most vulnerable. Leader Rune has been the only known "Leader" of the Black Darts, and was thus called Leader throughout the first two books of the Legend of Draconite. He often swathed himself in heavy clothes and wore the mask of the parasite to hide his identity. However, in the battle of Mal'ur, he wore leather armor like many of the Black Darts, as well as his mask. It has never been mentioned whether Rune had a tattoo or not, although it was not noted even when Sabra saw him nearly naked in northern Zanoll. Palm The tattoo on the Dart's left palm was the second-highest rank in the Black Dart gang. These members would receive direct orders from Leader and subordinate other Black Darts. Notable characters with this rank included Tyrenn, Razorscale, and Uty. Shoulder The tattoo on the Dart's left shoulder was the third-highest rank in the gang. These members were under orders from those with palm tattoos, but are able to command lower ranking Darts. Neck The lowest-ranking Darts received a tattoo on the back of their neck. They took orders from all the higher-ranking Darts and were basically fodder. Rise in Power The Darts began their rise in power in at least the year 21 BA, the year that Rune was banished from the Draconite clan. Over that time they had several successes and failures in their goal to obtain power and overthrow those they hated and stood in the way. Raids and Infiltration The Darts were infamous for their ability to infiltrate territories and factions. Henry Bunckle was able to do smuggling in Port Carron, while several Darts had already infiltrated Mal'ur's castle and the Knights of Mal'ur. They came to a point when Dart Uty was able to successfully impersonate Sabra and sit on the throne in plain view. Through Rune's magic capabilities, the Darts were able to build a base underneath Minor Lake in Ramirra, where Luna first fought Rune. It is unknown what happened to this Black Dart base after Luna transported Rune into another world. Airships The Darts, thanks to Rune's knowledge of advanced technology, were able to build airships that helped them intimidate and fight enemies with great effectiveness. The first airship seen in Book 1 of The Legend of Draconite proved to be weak to Hera Lupogryph's bombs, but the second one, appearing in Book 2 of LoD, was much more powerful, able to carry the Loran Rutia Mekraya. Downfall After the battle in Mal'ur and Rune's capture, the Black Dart gang withered without someone to lead them. Little was mentioned of them throughout the rest of the series, save when they attempted to assassinate Luna while she traveled with the Incarnate northward. Category:Groups and Factions